Review comments

I never thought that I would be saying something negative about a facility that I use to believe in. I once believed in their style of learning (Expeditionary Learning, which has become weak by the way) and love what they provided for my children foundationally. My daughter, who is now 17, started there when she was four years old. She had some of the most talented teachers who were not afraid to challenge students and instill dignity, hope, inspiration and excitement in their learning. My daughter has moved on and I have my youngest child there, who is getting ready to graduate and he has overcome many obstacles within his school and I can see how different he is treated in relation to how his sister was treated. Over time, I have seen constant turnover rate. Inconsistent implementation of administrative rules. I have seen 7 principles, plenty of teachers and support staff come and go. Frankly, It's been a mess and it has definitely changed. If you decide to go to this school, please investigate other options as well. The school is nothing like it used to be. Remember, All that glitters is not gold. Check their ratings and look at the trends of the test scores.

If you are thinking of sending your child to school here, RUN. Inflexible, irrational administration, constant staffing changes, ridiculous policies. They seem determined to make kids hate going to school.

My daughter just turned 4 in April, she was selected in the lottery. Her father and I were so please because early childhood education is imperative to our children's future. School has only been in a few weeks and we see such growth in Naomi already. She wants to learn, she wants to sit in her special table to sit and do her homework. She strives to do everything well so that Mr. Ivery will be happy. This school hands down is giving Naomi a wonderful start to her educational journey. I am please to be apart of the RBCS family!

well this will be my son first year at russell byers but just hearing different stories and talking to staff im excited as well as my son ...the teachers /student ratio is great and they offer great after school programs too..and the concience of a school bus...we cant wait til the year begins ..i also have another son who is currently in the 3rd grade and didint get in ..but we are quite sure now that his brother is in we should beokay...thumbs up to russell byers and two thumbs up to a great school year

My children started Russell Byers in 4k, my last child is just graduating..While I was sort of satisfied with the progress of my children there, the teaching was average to say the least. The staff turnover is too much, and the student, teacher diversity is lacking..I appreciate the dedication of some of the staff, but the leadership has a lot to be desired..They deal fine with perfect students but lack in areas of dealing with problem students, which spills over into other areas of the school. They dont always follow the rules that they put in place fairly, which causes division with the student population. I wish there was a different approach to dealing with some things...I would have recommended RBCS a few years ago, but not today...Its the same as the public school at this point..Pretty building but lacking in substance....

My daughters attend RBCS. I love the school. The care and attention is wonderful. We were blessed to get in first time around in the lottery. My 5th and 2nd graders are safe and cared for. I hope they are able to expand to 7th and 8th grade. Moving them from private to charter was a big step, that I am glad we made.

I love this school. I have had a son who graduated from this school and is doing well in high school. They actually helped him get into his new school after graduation and they keep up with how he is doing by offering workshops and other activities for graduates. I have another son who has attended since 4k and is now in 1st grade. I think the school has made great efforts with changing administration, they have a new academic curriculum in place, and so far the teachers have been consistant with teaching methods. No lack of communication, I have nothing bad to say about the three teachers my son has had. The administration is friendly and you can tell they care about the kid's well being. It is a beautiful, safe environment. My son has a health issue and they have a fulltime nurse on site, who is wonderful with him if he needs her. They offer afterschool programs to help students. I have no doubt in my mind that they will be where they need to be as far as the standardized tests because they are working hard on this goal. Parents can be as involved as they would like, they have an open door policy there. Great shool, but it's hard to get your child in because of so many applicants

My daughter is heading into her 2nd yr @ RBCS and thus far I am satisfied with the success in the classroom. There is no lack of communication here. There's a calendar given at the beginning of the school yr and they stick to it. Parent participation has been excellent as well. The HSA added creative fund raisers and made it easier for other parent to be involved in ways they may not have otherwise been able to be. THANK YOU!!

Since attedning Russell Byers my children reading has improved beyond my belief. They love school and always come home telling me something they have learned. Both of my children have had the same 4k teacher who has been there for years and he is an excellent teacher. My child is learning to play the violin, learning Spanish and learning Mandarin. I do not believe my child would have learned or been exposed to so much in another school. I was fearful when my children became school aged because the schools in Philadelphia are not great but I feel blessed that I have found Russell Byers.